<br><br> <div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:26 PM, Steven Sandstrom <<a href="mailto:sandstromsw@hotmail.com">sandstromsw@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <div lang="EN-US" style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; PADDING-TOP: 15px; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; TEXT-DECORATION: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none" name="Compose message area" vlink="purple" link="blue"> <div> <div>  The main problem is an unsuitable environment. We go from humidity in the low to mid 20 percent range in winter to humidity in the 70-80 percent range over the summer. I've tried to explain to them that no piano will hold up great under these conditions. Also, at the 3 high school they constantly move the pianos around. I think Dampp-Chasers would work good in the middle and elementary schools where the pianos stay put in the room.  I would still have to convince someone to maintain it. That is the biggest problem I see. The pianos they might be buying will not replace any of the Walters or Bostons they have bought. They would replace some of the 40-50 year old Hamiltons. I was just wondering what has worked good in other schools?</div> <div> </div> <div> Thanks for the help, </div> <div> Steve Sandstrom</div> <div> <div></div> <div class="Wj3C7c"> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>From:</b> <a title="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net" href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net" target="_blank">Greg Newell</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">'Pianotech List'</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:10 AM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> RE: good school pianos</div> <div><br></div> <div> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">Steve,</span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">                I didn't respond earlier but I wonder. Is the problem unsuitable instruments for your environment or an environment unsuitable for your instruments. I've tuned a few Walter pianos and they seem to be rock solid once the "break in" period is over. I certainly wouldn't think of replacing them for any MDF based box. My 2 cents.</span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p> <div> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">Greg Newell</span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">Greg's Piano Forté</span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d"><a href="http://www.gregspianoforte.com/" target="_blank">www.gregspianoforte.com</a></span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">216-226-3791 (office)</span></p> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d">216-470-8634 (mobile)</span></p></div> <p><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d"> </span></p> <div> <div style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">From:</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Steven Sandstrom<br> <b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:39 AM<br><b>To:</b> pianotech<br><b>Subject:</b> good school pianos</span></p></div></div> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"> </p> <div> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">  Thanks to all who responded to my question about good pianos for schools. I will mention to them the Sauter and Kawai UST-9 pianos that were recommended. I will also try to talk them into Dampp-Chaser systems, at least for the new pianos that don't get moved around everyday. I know most of these will not be taken care of but there are a few teachers that would maintain them. When I started taking care of the pianos at a small college again there were 14 pianos that had older Dampp-Chaser systems in them. Of those 14 only 2 were plugged in and both of those were never filled with water. Even in the piano faculty studio with 2 Steinway "B" pianos the water light was always blinking. Any suggestions on how to get people to maintain these would help too.</span></p> </div> <div> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"> </span></p></div> <div> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black">Thanks, Steve Sandstrom</span></p></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div> <div><br>Although most of the school pianos I tune are Yamaha P-22's and U-1's, I did work for a Kawai dealer as a private contractor for over 20 years and have seen the results of the styran flanges, hammer butts, in some cases the entire styran action except dowels and keys. It is impervious to humidity change which also offers a longer wear cycle. When the flanges are worn out it is easier and cheaper to replace them than to rebush them. The only caveat is it cannot be glued w/wood glue but instead PVC-E or CA must be used for gluing hammer shanks to Styran butts, etc. It has also been my experience that the pinning of action centers is tighter and the friction on the flanges is tighter than that of other asian makers. I have had minimal problems with too tight action centers however and again because of the material(styran)alcohol & water cannot be used but instead a 50/50 mix of naptha & water should be used as the alcohol & water can cause the styran to "age" and become brittle. I have had great success with the forerunner to the current UST-9, the UST-7's and 8's.</div> <div> </div> <div>I have also had experience with and like, to a lesser degree the Samick studio piano, not to be confused with other brands made by Samick such as Kohler & Cambell, Schaeffer & Sons and the like which are made to a differing set of standards than the Samick. The action is similar to Yamaha, the keys however have a hardwood "shoe" in addition to a maple keybutton, important for a school piano. The bridges are laminated rather than solid which makes for less likelihood of cracks following the pinline. Samick uses a spring washer under the head of their flange screw to eliminate loose flanges & "clacking" on the aluminum action rail in areas where the piano goes from very humid to very dry conditions.</div> <div> </div> <div>I have four P-22's from the Thomaston,GA plant ca 1986 that I have cared for since new and they are virually worn out, all have several cracks in the sounding board, need new hammers, complete action overhauls more than they are worth since they are the early models from Thomaston and Yamaha has improved on the design some since these were produced. I rebushed keys, repinned hammer butts. shaped hammers and regulated them for contest pianos. Next year they will go to practice rooms and new ones will be purchased, I have suggested UST-9's.</div> <div> </div> <div>Mike <br>-- <br>The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.<br>- Bertrand Russell<br><br>Michael Magness<br>Magness Piano Service<br>608-786-4404<br><a href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</a><br> email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</a> </div>